Owning a Pet in Rockford Could Soon Become More Expensive

If you have pets, you know how expensive they can get. It's no different than having kids; they require food, sometimes clothes, grooming, shots, toys and everything in between. It all adds up.

Now imagine having to pay more just to own them. That's pretty much what city alderman are proposing.

According to WTVO, the city council is thinking of forcing pet owners in Rockford to pay a licensing fee that would help cover the cost for a $5 million dollar deficit. The fee would be $10 dollars for altered pets, and $25 dollars for unaltered.

Part of that deficit comes from Winnebago County Animal Services which charged the city close to half a million dollars.

WTVO spoke to the director of Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in downtown Rockford, Stephanie, and she's very concerned that the fee could hurt their adoptions.

I work closely with the staff there and it would be awful to hear that the one thing keeping people from adopting animals who need good homes is this fee. Dogs like Rogue, who were left stranded on the side of the road with coffee cans tied to her tail and duct tape around her snout may never find a furever home.

A decision has yet to be made about the licensing fees, but the city will have to collect fees regardless, in order to help fill the deficit.